In the Wake of Sunbeams
by matchaball
Summary: Through thick and thin, siblings look out for each other. After all, adventures and mishaps are best when shared. (oneshots for Sunshine Siblings Week)
1. Daddy's Girl, Momma's Boy

"Hima, wake up already!" Sharp knocking on the door punctuated Boruto's exasperated call. There was no response and he sighed in annoyance. "If you're not up in three, I'm coming in."

Silence met his ultimatum and he rolled his eyes before letting himself in, foregoing the courtesy of warning his sister. He immediately spotted her sprawled out figure under her rumpled blanket, hugging her huge stuffed panda close. He padded silently over, sat down on the edge of her bed, and gently, cautiously shook her shoulder.

"Hima," he called out quietly to her. "Hey. Hey, it's time to get up."

Himawari groaned and curled away from him, hugging her panda closer. Boruto glared at the offending stuffed animal as if it was the one keeping Himawari rooted to her bed.

"If you don't get up in the next minute, I'm eating all the waffles."

There was a grunt and then a sigh from the previously prone form. "You wouldn't." Himawari rolled over and blinked sleepily at him, a frown creasing her forehead. She lifted a hand to ruffle through her short indigo hair, yawning widely as she did so. Boruto wrinkled her nose as she blew into his face.

"I would. And your morning breath is so gross," he commented in disgust, scooting back from her.

"Your fault for waking me up," Himawari retorted, flopping her hand down. She poked at his side, going straight for his ticklish spot and Boruto bounced onto his feet to escape her fingers.

"C'mon, the sooner we eat, the sooner we can take care of the garden and cook dinner before Mom and Dad get back." Boruto grasped the edge of the blanket and flung it off of her. Himawari rolled onto her back and stared at her ceiling in defeat. After a moment, she gave a grunt and sat up, yawning and scratching her stomach. Boruto raised an eyebrow curiously at her.

"What's gotten into you? You're usually not this bad waking up even if you did get back pretty late last night." If anything, Himawari was the early-morning riser between the two and too often Boruto had been poked awake by her merciless fingers. He was undoubtedly the heavier sleeper and after one memorable incident involving her (not so) Gentle Fist when he refused to wake up for an hour, it never took more than a few choice pokes in his most ticklish spots to startle him awake.

Boruto grumbled as he remembered another time when he woke Himawari up by cannonballing onto her bed. Hinata had to ease his tenketsu points back into position when Himawari landed a startled and irate blow to his arm. That was before she learned to control her chakra and her Byakugan but the lesson stuck and Boruto always took the cautious approach to waking her up now.

Himawari rolled out of bed and shuffled towards the door, stretching out the stiffness in her limbs as she followed her nose to the enticing smells of breakfast. Boruto glanced at her unmade bed, hesitated, then decided against doing it for her before following her to the kitchen.

"I spent the day with Papa yesterday and got really tired when we were at the market," Himawari told him as she selected a stack of waffles to eat.

"He practically carried you home," Boruto pointed out in amusement as he sat down to eat his breakfast. "You don't even remember Mom giving you a kiss when you both came in the door?"

"Nuh uh." Her sky blue eyes narrowed as she tried to remember. She shook her head and proceeded to top her waffles with syrup and strawberries before cutting them into neat, bite-sized portions. "One moment I was holding Papa's hand and the next minute, he was tucking me in bed."

"Oh Hima," Boruto rolled his eyes fondly. "You're ten. Double digits."

"Being tucked in by Papa is the best," Himawari argued, jabbing her fork in his direction. "Remember when he used to carry us home? You'd fall asleep when you were sitting on his shoulders or when he was carrying you and then you'd wake up in your bed and it was like magic?"

"Yeah, so?" Boruto frowned, poking at the waffles he made. He only had a few of those memories. What he remembered better were his mom's goodnight kisses and her bedtime stories.

"So Papa is magic," Himawari nodded, sure of herself. She loved it when she was small enough for Naruto to carry and hold, tucked up against his chest with her head resting on his shoulders as he walked home. His Hokage robes would wrap around her like a blanket but what she loved most was nestling against his orange jacket. The fabric was always soft- she knew her mama made sure of that- and best of all, it smelled faintly of noodles, paper, and sunshine.

She never thought sunshine could have a smell but she remembered thinking that most vividly as she fell asleep to the rhythm of his walks.

He smelled like home and comfort, and even though he didn't carry her anymore, she never hesitated to hug him as often as she could. She'd squeeze as hard as she possibly could, and he'd always laugh, exclaiming how she was going to be the strongest kunoichi in the village at this rate. She didn't care much about being the strongest, but she loved seeing that enormous smile on her Papa's face and inhaling the scent of sunshine from his jacket.

Boruto hummed noncommittally to her declaration. He wasn't going to argue with her. They were both equally stubborn when it came down to things like this, but Boruto privately thought that if there was any parent that could be considered magical, it'd have to be their mother.

In the end though, they could both agree that their parents together were unmatched in their capacity to love and care for them.

"You know Dad can use Hiraishin right? Like he can literally teleport in an instant. It's not magic, it's just his jutsu," Boruto pointed out, giving in the urge to needle her a little.

Himawari frowned thoughtfully, though she didn't rise up to the bait like he thought she would. She took her time eating a waffle before looking up at him, her expression serious and sure. "It's not about technique, Bore. It's like… it's like a trust fall. And you know Papa. He's going to catch you every single time and never let you down. And he won't just catch you, he'll always bring you home. That's the best kind of falling. That's magic."

Boruto set his fork down and pushed his empty plate away, sitting back in his chair and watching her finish the rest of her breakfast.

"You know… you kinda sound like him when you talk like that," he remarked quietly. His tone was carefully neutral but Himawari knew enough him better than that. She knew he still had a rocky relationship with their father sometimes, knew he loved him so much that it hurt him.

So she grinned brightly at him and chirped, "Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment." Because Papa was someone bright and wonderful to her and she knew Boruto still saw him like that too… even if he hid it underneath his grumpiness and mood swings. She'd remind him so he wouldn't get caught up in his indignation and worries.

Boruto shook his head, a small smile on his lips as he realized what she was unabashedly doing and got up to set his plate in the sink.

"Dad also washes the dishes so I guess you will too if you're just like him."

"Hey!"

"The cook never cleans," Boruto reminded her cheekily before heading to his room to change into appropriate clothes he could get dirty in.

"Sometimes I swear you're better at the disappearing act," Himawari grumbled, though it was more to give him a hard time than any real complaint. She never minded cleaning up when Boruto cooked, especially when he tended to cook her favourites.

Boruto reappeared in the kitchen dressed in comfortable, old clothes faded from the sun, gardening gloves under an arm as he applied sunscreen to his face. He had the unfortunate habit of burning before tanning under the sun, a trait he inherited from Hinata while both Himawari and Naruto suntanned as if they were made to soak up the sunshine.

He flashed a grin, quick and mischievous, to her. "Magic, Hima. Magic."

xXx

Himawari bounded in the kitchen, a handful of flowers cradled in her hands, picked fresh from their garden. The fragrant blooms of lavender, freesia, and daffodils freshened the air and brought a burst of summer into the room. She retrieved a vase from the cabinet and partially filled it with water before arranging the bouquet to her liking. She set it down in the center of the kitchen table and the sunlight streaming through the windows lit the kitchen warmly, brightly, drawing out the colours of the flowers until they sang vibrantly from where they stood on the table.

"Hima, wipe your feet next time," Boruto sighed, walking in after her and dragging a rag on his foot as he wiped the dirt from her footprints with each step. It was routine at this point, with even a basket of rags set by the door for this purpose. Sometimes he wondered if Himawari purposely forgot to wipe her feet after gardening just so he'd have to clean up after her.

"Oops, sorry," she giggled apologetically. "But look! Don't these look so pretty? And they smell so nice too." She inhaled deeply before grinning at him.

"Wait until you smell what I'm cooking for dinner- which you're still helping me with by the way," he promised, picking up the rag and heading to the laundry room to deposit. "Wash your hands and your arms. I'm not planning on seasoning anything with dirt."

"But it'd be so healthy," Himawari argued, though she did as she was told, turning on the faucet in the sink and rubbing her hands with soap until they were clean and smooth. "Kiba-ojichan and Akamaru say it's very useful for camouflage and scent and Ino-obachan says it has a ton of nutrients."

"The next time I need to cook something that requires stealthiness, I'll keep that in mind," Boruto answered amusedly as he came back, this time bearing his treasured cookbook filled with recipes that many of their friends and family contributed to. He set it on the counter, washed his own hands, and retrieved his pink apron from where it hung on a hook by the door. He handed the smaller yellow apron to Himawari and flipped his cookbook open to the desired page.

"Oh oh oh, can we make ramen?" Himawari bounced on the spot next to him. She was distracted the moment after by the dust motes floating in the sunbeams that filtered through the windows. She twirled across the kitchen, giggling as they danced and swirled around her.

"Tonkotsu ramen," Boruto confirmed. "Hima, focus. And I want to make red bean mochi for dessert too. Maybe red bean soup if there's enough left."

"Can we make ice cream mochi? Pleeeease?" Himawari twirled back and clasped her hands under her chin, staring pleadingly up at him.

Boruto hesitated, took one look at her face, and folded. "Ok, ice cream mochi too."

"Yay!" Himawari cheered, opening up the fridge and drawing the necessary ingredients out. "Ok, what should I do?"

Boruto set her to chopping and measuring since experience told them both that Himawari and the stove were not great friends. Height and age contributed to that but Boruto thought it was good Himawari had many other talents since he was fairly certain cooking would not become one of them. Which was alright, because he liked to cook but hated to clean, so the system worked out for the both of them.

He hummed as he set the broth out to broil and filled a pot up with water to soften the noodles in. His steps were light and his movements sure as he moved the red bean paste Himawari prepared into the freezer and checked the mochiko dough she was in the process of making.

"A bit more water, Hima," he noted, poking at the lumpy dough. "Unless you want to be eating cake instead." She just stuck her tongue out at him in response before diligently adding another tablespoon.

She listened to his quiet humming as she mixed, relaxing in the kitchen that slowly warmed up with delicious smells and cozy heat.

"Oh shoot," she sighed as the dough ran through her hands, a little too runny now with water. "Bore, what do I do?"

Boruto set his knife down and pushed the chopping board full of bamboo shoots and bean sprouts to the side before taking the doughy mix. He poked at it thoughtfully before adding some more mochiko and green tea powder. He didn't say anything, his attention focused on methodically mixing the dough until it slowly became the right consistency.

"Mom's better at making this than I am," Boruto muttered, displeased with something. With what, Himawari couldn't tell since the mochi finally looked right when he stopped mixing. She clapped her hands, watching the powder fly from her hands to join the dust motes in the sunbeams.

"You're awesome at this, you don't even need the cookbook!" Himawari argued. She giggled as she darted forward, lightning quick, and tapped him on the cheeks, leaving white fingerprints by his whiskers.

"Hima," he scolded halfheartedly, but a smile quirked up on his lips. "You know Mom though. She just cooks and chops and measures like it's nothing and everything comes out perfectly and deliciously."

It wasn't just her cooking that impressed upon his mind, but also watching her move in the kitchen. She was always humming, always so light on her feet she looked like she danced across the floor. Even standing by the kitchen windows, chopping away on the cutting board with her hair tied back and her apron on, she glowed and Boruto was sure her cooking skills were some divine power. Best was when she would turn to smile at him, hand him a spatula or a cutting knife and invite him to help her.

Boruto loved cooking, but what he loved most was cooking with Hinata.

He loved doing most things with her, come to think of it. His earliest memory in the garden was planting some daffodil seeds together with her and then running off to find a colourful bug or a pretty flower to bring back. He picked up knitting when he saw how much she enjoyed doing it and the sunset-coloured blanket that was a permanent resident on the couch in the living room was a testament to their combined effort.

Cooking was special though. Cooking was their time together, when he talked about his day in between the bubbling of soup and the sizzling of the pan, when she'd beam at him for all his help and he could proudly tell Dad that he helped with dinner and wasn't it delicious?

Coming home meant stepping into the house, into the kitchen after a long day at school, after a tiring day running errands or meeting with people, and being enveloped by the warmth of cooking food and the fragrant aroma of herbs and spices lingering in the air. Coming home meant a hug and a smile from Mom and delicious food to fill his stomach with.

Well, like his dad always did like to tease, the quickest way to the heart was through the stomach.

"Bore," Himawari's interrupted gently, "that _is_ perfect." Boruto blinked and looked down and found, to his surprise, that she was right. The consistency was correct and filled the pan up just right, ready for steaming. He shook his head, smiling to himself before setting it on the stove to steam. He turned the fire down for the broth and drained the noodles, working back into the quiet peace he always found when he cooked.

Himawari watched as he moved to pluck a few leaves off the basil plant in their herb garden growing by the kitchen windowsill. His fingers were gentle, precise as he selected the correct plant and the sun lit his blonde hair until it shone, but what caught her eye was the small, relaxed smile that played on his lips as he started to hum again.

"You look like Mama," Himawari commented quietly, not wanting to disturb his moment. Boruto blinked and looked up from his task to look owlishly at her.

"I'm shorter, and my hair's a different colour," he pointed out, an eyebrow raised.

Himawari rolled her eyes at him and clarified, "It's not how you look, but how you _look_." She reached over to tap him on the cheeks again, this time poking his lips up into a smile. "You both look like when you cook, you'd rather be doing nothing else."

"You know what Mom told me once?" Boruto batted her hands away before plucking the basil plant. The air was filled with the light, fragrant smell of basil as he waved the leaves in the sunlight, watching how the sun made them glow a warm green. "Whenever she cooked, she always thought about who she was cooking for. She'd think of Dad when she made his lunch or she'd think of us when making our favourite snacks and it'd be like spending more time with us that way. She told me that was her secret ingredient whenever she cooked."

"Us?" Himawari asked, taking a leaf and twirling it in the light alongside him.

"Love," Boruto nodded. "Explains why her food is always so good."

Himawari hummed before taking the rest of the leaves from his hands and skipping over to the cutting board to chop.

"Your food tastes like hers too," she told him in between the steady staccato of the knife. "So I guess it's pretty lucky we have you and Mama cooking and thinking of us."

Boruto grinned as he came over. He gave her head a quick but thorough rub, tousling her hair and ignoring her indignant exclamation of protest.

"You guys are always there to eat it all, and it's always more satisfying cooking for other people. So you know, full circle." Himawari grinned at that. There really was nothing better than eating with together as a family and filling the belly up with warm and delicious food. "C'mon, let's finish up the ramen so we can get started on your ice cream mochi!"

* * *

 **AN:** So marks the start for the Sunshine Siblings Week event on Tumblr! Whoo boy, this got out in a jiffy! I'm going to try my hardest to get the prompts done on time (I can already feel this not happening but a girl can dream) so apologies for any rushed errors. Thanks peachandpoppyposts for headcanoning with me on Boruto's recipe book!


	2. Uzumaki and Hyuuga Training

Himawari landed flat on her back, air knocked from her lungs from the sudden sweep to her legs, and tried to lurch to her feet the moment she hit the ground, wheezing in the attempt. She managed to roll to her knees but had to take another moment to gasp for breath before standing up fully once more, her arms coming up automatically in front of her in the proper Gentle Fist stance.

Hiashi watched her silently, his arms lax by his side and his expression patient. When Himawari saw his casual posture she knew he was going to call the spar to an end. She couldn't say she was sorry; she was fairly sure her collection of bruises and scrapes were impressive enough already without adding to them. The faint cries and hits in the dojo over reminded her that at least she had it a little easier than Boruto. Hanabi-obachan was ruthless when she sparred. They would both need their mother's medicinal cream when they all went home.

"Very good, Himawari," Hiashi nodded. She took her cue and straightened up, her hands by her side. They bowed to each other, signaling the end of their fight.

When Himawari rose, she saw the slightest smile curving up on her grandfather's lips. She loved it when he smiled: it softened the harsh lines on his face and made him softer, warmer. She paused, wondering what this smile could mean. She hadn't done particularly well in their training session today but the look in his normally carefully controlled expression told her he was proud.

The sound of the dojo door opening distracted her and she looked over to see Hanabi and Boruto standing in the doorway. Well, Boruto was attempting to stand normally. He was wincing and from the way his right arm twitched, Himawari knew he left his right side open for hits again, something Hanabi would've taken every opportunity to exploit to remind him to cover his weak spots.

Hiashi nodded in acknowledgement at them. "Come, let's take a break. Hanabi?"

The young woman gave a hum in response and turned to retrieve a tea set from the kitchen, their regular routine after training.

Boruto padded across the mats to stand next to Himawari as Hiashi went to slide the doors leading to the enormous courtyard open, letting in the afternoon sunshine in. The doors framed the sight of Hinata and Naruto slowly moving through several katas together, pausing every once in awhile for them to reach over to correct each other's form.

Himawari shot her brother a questioning look as he stood beside her. He grunted before answering, "About a 7."

She whistled silently. "Hanabi-obachan thrashed you. What happened?"

"You can't talk," Boruto retorted, ignoring the question. "The number of times I heard you eat the ground is enough to make today at least an 8 for you, if not a 9."

Himawari frowned and huffed, crossing her arms. She couldn't deny today had been painful, more so than usual. "Yeah, ok, it was an 8 today."

Boruto smiled smugly at her for a moment before punching her lightly in the arm. "Well at least if we're going to get our butts kicked, we'll get them kicked together." He frowned slightly then and added, "But at the end of training, she gave me a really weird smile."

"Like she was going to have you for dinner?" Himawari shuddered, familiar with that particular smile. Training with Hanabi was undeniably very fun but also, more often than not, incredibly painful.

"Like..." Boruto trailed off in thought, his eyes watching their parents but not really seeing them. "...she was proud of me? It made me more worried than anything else, honestly."

Himawari stared at him, her own experience with Hiashi's smile at the end of their training dancing at the tip of her tongue. She gave a sigh instead before clasping Boruto on the shoulder, her expression dramatically mournful. "It was nice knowing you."

Boruto rolled his eyes at her before moving to kneel beside Hiashi in the open dojo doors to watch their parents. Himawari snickered and followed, folding herself down as gracefully as she could beside their stoic grandfather.

Hanabi appeared another moment later bearing a tray with cups and a steaming teapot. She set it down and Boruto poured tea for them all, his movements practiced and precise. Despite how his arms must have hurt, he spilled not a drop and handed a cup to each respective person gracefully.

There four of them watched in comfortable silence as Hinata and Naruto worked through several advanced katas, their synchronization flawless. Himawari caught the little smiles and side glances they'd give each other and had to bring her cup up to hide her grin. She loved that her parents were still so affectionate and enamoured with each other but she knew Boruto was often embarrassed by them. She knew though that he was glad they loved each other so much still too.

After finishing a form, Hinata turned to Naruto, straightening up. She nodded encouragingly to him and he sucked in a breath, rolling back his shoulders to loosen them.

The pair was just out of hearing range but as Himawari saw her father settle into a stance reminiscent to the Kaiten, she knew he was attempting to channel his elemental wind affinity into a defensive move. He'd been attempting to come up with something for weeks now and despite their mother's patient instruction and help, the most he managed to do was take out a significant portion of the trees in one of the training grounds. Several civilians were worried about an upcoming windstorm after that, which had Naruto rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and Hinata laughing.

Naruto took another breath and shifted his weight onto his back foot at the same moment he swept his other foot around, his arms following the flow of his torso, palms facing out. Wind swept around him as he spun and for a moment, it looked as if the move worked.

He faltered, his foot catching on the ground and the skein of wind that surrounded him thickened and suddenly exploded outwards, flattening the plants that grew in the courtyard and rattling the dojo doors.

The heavy gust of wind was cool on their faces and Hanabi snickered in the silent aftermath. Hiashi took another sip of tea, unruffled. Naruto grinned at them, apologetic.

"At least he didn't take out the paper in the doors again this time." Hanabi grimaced at the memory. "That took forever to fix."

"Didn't Dad make some bunshin to help?" Boruto asked. He glanced at everybody's cups before taking the teapot once more to top them up.

"Why do you think it took so long?" Hanabi nodded in thanks as Boruto poured more tea for her.

"Aw, Papa was so close that time," Himawari murmured, her eyes focused on their parents. Boruto debated on taking advantage of her preoccupied state by filling her cup to the very brim at the point of overflowing but a quick glance at Hiashi, who Boruto knew from experience was always watching, stomped that idea flat.

Hinata stepped in close to Naruto, looking a little windswept, and took his arms in her hands to adjust. After he placed them to her liking, she pressed down on his shoulders in a gesture that told him that he needed to relax. Hinata's back was towards them so they couldn't see their lips as Hinata leaned forward to whisper something to Naruto but as she stepped away, his face was a little more red than usual though his shoulders visibly loosened. His intense gaze followed her as she stepped back and dropped into the stance for Kaiten.

Getting the hint, Naruto leapt back to give her room and in the next moment, Hinata was whirling on the spot, her figure obscured by the powerful swirl of chakra that enclosed her in a shining dome. She kept it up for only a moment before releasing her form.

"Mama is the best," Himawari whispered breathlessly, her teacup slanted dangerously in her lap with her attention focused entirely on their parents. "Papa too. We'll never be as good as that."

Boruto couldn't help but agree as they watched their mother demonstrate the stance once more, their father moving to mirror her.

He and Himawari were both quite advanced in skill for their age but watching their parents fight was always a humbling reminder how much further they had to go before getting anywhere near their level.

"What do you suppose their greatest strength is?" Hiashi asked them both. He took a slow sip of his tea, seemingly focussed on Naruto and Hinata ahead. Hanabi glanced at him and then took a sip of her own tea, a smile dancing on her lips and a knowing gleam twinkling in her white eyes.

"Creativity," Himawari decided after a moment's thought. Unpredictability would've been her second choice but she knew that wasn't quite accurate after watching their parents fight for so long.

"Stamina," Boruto argued. "They can fight for hours and still have the energy to spar with us after."

"You're both not wrong," Hiashi interjected before they could start squabbling. At his firm voice, Himawari and Boruto settled quietly, turning their faces up to look at him. Hanabi watched them silently, amusedly. "But neither are those I would consider their greatest strength. Watch." Obediently, the two Uzumaki children looked ahead again in time to observe their parents exchanging quick blows at one another, practicing strictly taijutsu.

Hinata landed a solid hit on Naruto's shoulder but was unprepared by his sudden drop down to the ground. He swept his legs around and knocked her off her feet. She recovered smoothly by rolling and surging up, hair whipping from her momentum. Naruto aimed a kick at her side- her right side, also her weak spot- but she smoothly ducked and rolled forwards, seizing him around the waist and flipping him in the same motion. Naruto let out a grunt as he hit the floor but bounced back on his feet straightaway, though it was apparent the moment he started moving again that Hinata hit some of his tenketsu points. His chakra control was shot, resulting in a pitiful recovery that almost had him tripping again rather than a strong and solid roll back up to his ready stance.

Naruto grinned, his expression mischievous, and beckoned for Hinata to come at him again.

"Is it teamwork?" Boruto guessed again. Even though they were not technically fighting on the same side, it was remarkable how in tune they still moved together, making their fight appear more like a dance. Many of their moves were even similar, with Hinata incorporating much of the footwork and kicks Naruto liked to use and Naruto borrowing much of the rhythm and flow of the Gentle Fist strikes.

Hiashi set his cup down in his lap, his eyes following Hinata's movements. A small, proud smile curved his lips up and he replied, "Their most remarkable capability is their inability to stay knocked down to the ground. They stand. They fight on. But their most admirable quality and biggest strength is their compassion. It is what drives them to continue believing in themselves and each other. It is what makes their will of fire burn bright and why they are both so strong."

Himawari and Boruto exchanged glances, a little unsure how compassion equated to skill.

"You know there have been several people who have tried to kill both of your parents throughout their lives," Hanabi spoke up, picking up on her niece's and nephew's silent confusion. Boruto and Himawari nodded. This was not new to them, even if their parents did not go into detail exactly who targeted them. "I'm not speaking of just enemy nin. Friends and family have both been at fault here as well."

"Obachan? What do you mean?" Himawari demanded, tugging at Hanabi's sleeve, her brow creased in concern.

"I mean," Hanabi turned to look at her in the eyes. "That the very people they both love and protect even to this day has not always been that way. It isn't just the threat of dying either, but also the pressure of having their will beaten down. You understand how that could feel like? But look at them. They've chosen to love instead of hate everyone who tried to take them down and now… now Naruto is Hokage and Hinata the First Lady, and they are both loved and respected in Konoha and in all the five great nations."

Boruto blinked, taking it all in. Nothing Hanabi nor Hiashi said was entirely unfamiliar but in this context, in the way they said it had him pausing, had the words ringing in his mind. He glanced over at Himawari and saw a similar look of concentrated thought on her face.

"So keep standing, keep getting up to fight another day, and remember why and who you're fighting for," Hanabi summed up, reaching over to ruffle Boruto's hair. He yelped in protest as she snickered at him.

A cry of triumph interrupted them and the four of them looked over to see Naruto skipping excitedly on his feet as Hinata laughed beside him in delight. He stopped, a huge, beaming grin on his face before dropping into his modified Kaiten stance and sweeping his foot around in a spin. A steady dome of wind encircled him, but the gale was contained and within his control the entire time, barely touching Hinata who stood just outside his range. The moment Naruto stopped spinning, he drew his palms together and gathered the swirling air up in a compact sphere, the beginnings of a Rasengan. He held it for another moment longer before allowing it to dissipate, whooping again at his success.

"Hey, Boruto! Himawari! C'mon over here, I'll teach you the stance for this!" Naruto waved at them, still hopping excitedly on his feet.

"You just learned how to do that successfully two seconds ago!" Hanabi yelled back at him, her gaze sharp and amused.

"Just the stance, you guys don't have enough chakra control to learn this yet," Naruto promised. Boruto and Himawari hesitated but an encouraging nod from Hinata had them placing their cups down in a hurry and leaping up to join their parents, excited grins lighting their faces. They raced across the courtyard, ready to train with them.

Hanabi and Hiashi watched the family laugh and roughhouse around before Hinata refocused them and Naruto began to show them his stances. Hinata corrected their positions and Naruto beamed proudly as they followed his movements.

"Boruto and Himawari were incorrect earlier," Hiashi suddenly spoke, his gaze serene as he watched his grandchildren laugh.

"Hm?" Hanabi tilted her head to look at her father questioningly.

A smile, small but proud, curved on Hiashi's face, softening and warming his expression as he watched them all move and learn together. "They are already so very strong. It is only a matter of time before we pass the present and the future down to them to shape. I do believe we will be in great hands."

* * *

 **AN:** Prompt was written in conjunction with an anon request I received on Tumblr:

"Hima and Boruto spending time with Hanabi/Hiashi. Getting in touch with their Hyuuga lineage. Also, Hanabi/Hiashi talk about how strong their mother is and what she's overcome?"

This was kind of hard. Fight scenes are _really_ not my thing. Alas. But hooray! Second installment up on time, so far so good. Fingers crossed for the next couple oneshots! Thanks for reading!


	3. Gardening

It is peaceful in the backyard, in the garden, the kind of calm that makes one boneless, the kind that settles and tucks over like the softest of blankets. Wind chimes sing a quiet lullaby, light and enchanting, courtesy of playful breezes that come around to whisper in their ears and kiss their cheeks before dashing off again. Sunlight, rich and warm, spills across the grass and lights the flowers until they become a bouquet of colours, bright and stunning. The day is light and clear with blue skies and puffy white clouds the size of mountains, the sort of day that makes the heart ache with the knowledge that such a perfect moment cannot last forever.

Underneath the dappled shade of the apple tree, Naruto sits back and sighs, allowing the sweet and heady fragrance of dirt and grass and ripening apples to calm and relax his mind. He sets his gardening gloves and spade carefully next to him and stretches his long legs out, mimicking the thick roots that rise above and dip beneath the ground like waves reaching out towards the house before completely relaxing, his limbs utterly at ease. He shuts his eyes and feels the spots of light that peek through the leaves of the tree and that glide across the ground and across his form, warm on his skin and as light as a kiss.

A hum rises from the back of his throat as an actual kiss, soft and gentle and touched by the scent of lavender, presses against the whiskers on his cheek. He grins slowly, lazily, and his eyes flicker open to take in the sight of his wife, her indigo hair glowing violet at the edges from the sun and her lavender eyes creased in a happiness, a smile dancing on her lips.

"Hey," Naruto murmurs, low and husky. He lifts a hand to her, his knuckles ghosting along the curve of her jaw up until his palm cradles her cheek, his thumb tracing her cheekbone and wiping away a bit of dirt.

Her hand rises to cover his and she brings his palm to her lips to press another kiss to his skin, warm and tanned and tasting of dirt and sun.

"Taking a break?" Hinata asks quietly, kneeling down to settle beside him. Her hand never lets his go and they both glance in unison at the rustling flower patch beside them where they know Boruto is playing and Himawari is crawling along after him. Light giggles tell them where they both are, as playful and musical as the wind chimes.

Naruto only hums in response, an affirmation, before he wraps an arm around Hinata's waist and pulls her into his lap, between his stretched out legs. She immediately readjusts so she's sinking back into the solid warmth of his chest, her head resting against his collarbone. She can feel his nose skim across her hair, inhaling deeply, before his cheek comes to rest on top of her head. She laces their fingers together and he brings their joined hands to rest on her stomach.

Naruto thinks, knows, that this is what he and Hinata fought so long and hard for, what they endured a war to achieve, what they had hoped to find since those cold and lonely days long ago when they were both young and dreaming of a better tomorrow.

A house, a home, built and shared together in a time and place so peaceful that they can both spend days like this, as a family, playing and dozing in the sunlight together. A present where they are both there to hear every inquisitive question and receive every beaming smile from Boruto, where they are both there to coax Himawari into standing and taking her first few steps, catching her when her legs wobble and her arms reach for them as she falls.

A future where their children can go forward with no looming threat of war or famine or plague awaiting them. A future where they can all grow old together.

They are such simple pleasures, but by now Naruto and Hinata know that the simplest things are the hardest to achieve but they are also, without a doubt, the most satisfying and beautiful goals to reach for. A lazy summer afternoon, folded into each other under the shade of an apple tree; their children chasing butterflies and befriending worms and ladybugs, where the only hurt they need to worry about is a sunburn; a home, full of treasured memories and bursting with colour from picked flowers and scribbled drawings- these are things worth fighting for.

Naruto uncurls the fingers of one of his hands, stretching them out from where they nestle between Hinata's, and traces light meandering patterns on her stomach. She sighs, utterly content, savouring the heat of his body wrapped around hers.

A rustle and the patter of small feet that has not quite accomplished graceful coordination races up to them. Hinata and Naruto are both so relaxed that they hardly move as Boruto appears from the flowerbed, his little arms covered in dirt and a variety of flowers held tight in his hands.

He beams at them, his smile as bright as the sun that warms their garden, and, with all the patience and care a three year old has, carefully arranges the flowers around his parents' legs, clearly on a mission to decorate them as colourfully as he can. Himawari comes crawling up moments later, bright and adorable in her red ladybug onesie with an assortment of flowers wound through her short indigo hair, courtesy of her brother.

Boruto pouts when he realizes he can't quite reach their heads to place his flowers on and settles for placing them on their joined hands instead. He pauses and pats their hands and Hinata's stomach, curiosity evident in his features. Himawari giggles as she crawls up next to him and mimics his movements, patting the ground around her gleefully.

"Is there 'nother sister growing?" Boruto asks, his blue eyes wide and inquisitive and utterly focused on hearing the answer.

Naruto can't help but chuckle at his question, understanding where it is coming from. When Hinata had been pregnant with Himawari, and when she had been pregnant with Boruto also, he was always touching her stomach, pressing an ear to her growing belly or smoothing his hands over her body, always in quiet and delighted awe at the thought of this new life that was growing inside of her.

Boruto, familiar with this sight, often tugged on Naruto's pants, demanding to be picked up so he could rest his ear against Hinata's stomach too. Father and son both loved resting against Hinata and they found that together, especially when her stomach grew heavy and round in her last stages of pregnancy, they could link their arms around her and hug and hold both her and Himawari.

Hinata would always laugh at that, her cheeks pinking, face glowing, and her eyes alight with happiness, before taking their hands in hers and resting them on her stomach. Later, she admits that the memory of their palms and fingers entangled in hers is what kept her going during the long, painful, and harrowing hours of giving birth. Himawari had not come into the world easily, but Hinata never was one to lose herself to pain and pressure, especially when those she loves are depending on her.

"Not this time little lion," Hinata answers, her lips curving up in an adoring smile. She untangles one of her hands from Naruto's to play with Boruto's fingers that continue to pat her stomach. "Isn't Himawari enough for now?"

"She's fun," Boruto agrees, glancing at his sister who coos happily beside him. Himawari reaches over and pats her parents' legs, amused at the sounds she can make. He refocuses his attention back to his parents and demands, "Can you make more?"

Hinata blinks and then flushes deep red and Naruto has to bury his face in her hair to hide his laughter. He doesn't try very hard though and the grin that stretches across his face is so wide he thinks his cheeks will never feel the same. He can practically feel Hinata's neck heat up and laughs all the harder.

"Making more isn't the hard part," Naruto tells him when he's got his laughter mostly under control. Hinata coughs and he has to suppress the urge to begin laughing again. He squeezes her hand mischievously and can't resist a chuckle when Hinata taps her fingers against his in response. "But it's hard on Mama. Remember how much her back and feet hurt and how she was gone for a few days when we had to go to the hospital to get Himawari?"

Boruto sits down on the grass, his hands sliding along Hinata's stomach until all he can reach is Naruto's thigh. He drums his hands along Naruto's leg, copying Himawari and trying to match her rhythm, his face furrowing in concentrated thought.

After some deliberation, he nods, evidently remembering those long and awful days of his mother's absence. He stops drumming, bored with the motion, and reaches for one of Naruto's gardening gloves, sticking his hand in. He isn't deterred at all by the fact that it is so big it covers almost half of his arm.

"You plant more? Please? And, and jus' wait for 'em to grow? " Boruto asks, his expression hopeful. He thinks this is the perfect solution, because plants take _forever_ to sprout from when the seeds are first buried; so, he nods to himself, that should be plenty of time for his mama to adjust. He likes having a sister, likes having someone just for him to play with.

Naruto coughs this time, incredibly amused, and Hinata doesn't think her cheeks can get any redder or hotter. She thumps her head gently against Naruto's collarbone, though it only amuses him more rather than chastises. It is a losing battle so she does her best to ignore Naruto's lips against her hair that is stretched in a smile she's sure is as mischievous as a fox's, devoting all her attention to Boruto's innocent question instead.

"Maybe," she promises, and Naruto's arm presses against her side and onto her stomach, warm and heavy, a cheeky promise. "It's nice having a big family, right?"

"Mmhmm," Boruto hums enthusiastically, abandoning the gardening glove in favour of joining Himawari once more in playing percussion on Naruto's leg. Himawari nods and laughs delightedly at his participation, smacking her hands harder on Naruto's shins. Naruto only grins and jostles his leg playfully, eliciting a surprised shriek from Himawari when he suddenly moves beneath her hands.

Boruto hadn't liked it though, when Himawari first came home. He didn't like that he had to share his parents with this newcomer, that all she seemed to do was cry and eat and sleep… occasionally. Always fretfully. He stayed away from her, those first few weeks, preferring the sanctuary of the garden to her company, even if that did mean surrendering the lion's share of their parents' attention to her.

It wasn't until he brought flowers into the nursery for her one day, until he came and rocked her to a peaceful and contented sleep one afternoon that he realized perhaps she wasn't so bad after all. When Himawari could crawl, the first thing she reached for was Boruto, and she was always as close behind as she could follow wherever he went- which often meant that the two of them were in the garden, getting lost in the flowerbeds and sinking their feet and hands into the soft dirt. Exploring was so much more fun when there was someone to share the experience with.

"We can, we can have _so many_ sisters," Boruto declares, his hands darting to catch the patches of sun that shift and move on Naruto's leg. He hums thoughtfully, preoccupied with the light, and then explains, "One for e'ry flower." After a moment's consideration, he adds, "An' brothers are ok too."

"Every flower in the garden?" Hinata repeats in disbelief. Naruto chokes behind her and his arm tightens around her side once more, his body shaking with laughter. "That's… that's a lot of siblings, Boruto."

Boruto nods, pleased that she understands. "A big family!" he reiterates, and he thinks about how fun that would be, to have so many siblings, enough that they can become their own kind of garden. He thinks about dog piles like the ones that happen when Uncle Kiba and Akamaru come to visit, and he thinks about Uncle Shino's large bee colonies who happily live and work together.

His innocent enthusiasm is such that Hinata doesn't have the heart to tell him so many siblings would not be possible. She taps her fingers against Naruto's and thinks his palm feels impossibly hot against hers. Her cheeks are warm as she settles for telling Boruto, "Maybe in a few years, there'll be another sibling for you and Himawari. Babies are a lot of work."

"Oh." Boruto deflates as he remembers how much strain she'd been under when she was pregnant with Himawari, and he bites his lip in consternation. Well, one was still pretty good. Not as great as a whole garden, but still pretty exciting. He rises to his feet, watching a sunspot glide across Naruto's leg and onto the ground, and says distractedly, "Ok."

He's off then, hopping across the grass and jumping from a puddle of light to the next, apparently done with the conversation. Himawari's attention immediately shifts, and she too abandons her musical composition in favour of following her brother.

She catches on to what he's doing and copies him as best as she can. She cries out gleefully every time she successfully lands a hand in the center of a patch of sunlight before it shifts away, and then she's off crawling after it, a ladybug on a mission. Flowers shake loose from her hair as she moves and a trail of colourful blooms lie in her wake as she follows Boruto across the dappled shade of the apple tree and back into the flowerbed.

They are both careful, or as careful as a baby and a toddler can be, in weaving between the flower stalks and ducking under the delicate fern leaves. It is a game, to see how long they can go without trampling the colourful blooms, a game that comes naturally to them. They have both played in the garden so many times that they are practically part flower themselves.

Hinata and Naruto watch them fondly, quietly, soaking in their laughter and sounds of encouragement to each other, until they disappear behind the tall green stalks. Flower heads nod, signalling where they are in the flowerbed. Hinata already mourns when they will be too big to hide amongst the tall blooms, when they will no longer spend their afternoons exploring each nook and cranny of the garden.

She slides her free hand absentmindedly until it rests on Naruto's thigh and she traces the spots of light that dot his clothes, echoing Boruto's previous actions. She stops when she feels him chuckle, the laughter coming from deep in his chest and heating her skin.

"Your neck is still hot," Naruto whispers in her ear, his voice just a shade too mirthful to be suggestive. His words only increase her embarrassment, lighting her neck up as red as the carnations they grow. She wishes she had her long hair still, if only to hide her glowing reaction from him. "Another sibling, huh?"

"I wouldn't mind another child. They just grow up so fast. I think… well, one day," she murmurs, sinking back into his chest more and bringing her free hand to lace with his again, lifting their joined hands to rest on her stomach once more. A breeze tickles their skin and cools her cheeks, swirling around the wind chimes once more and the light, tinkling music of the hollow pipes makes her sigh wistfully.

Naruto smiles against her hair, small but filled with incredible warmth when he thinks of how full his family makes him feel. He plants a lingering kiss on Hinata's head, so incredibly grateful of what he has now and what he knows he can hope for the future. She squeezes his hands, understanding his silence.

Not too far away, Boruto crouches down in the middle of a thick patch of japanese anemones, Himawari at his shadow. Graceful white petals frame golden centers and their delicate faces bend from tall stems to watch them as they sift carefully through the dirt for sparkly rocks.

Boruto has already found three, but they are small and not special enough to take back to show to his parents. A quick glance over at Himawari tells him that she has no better luck, though she is covered in a significantly thicker layer of dirt than he is.

He pauses, considering her. Himawari sits up and claps, pleased to have his attention. Her blue eyes are wide with curiosity, a bright contrast from the red of her onesie. Dark red, at this point, with how much the dirt has recoloured it. Boruto takes in the dirt smeared across her cheeks, her whiskers barely visible, and the stems of daisies and dandelions and clover that cling valiantly to her short ruffled indigo hair and an idea sparks in his mind, simple and clever.

He grins, incredibly pleased with himself, and beckons Himawari closer. She promptly crawls forward until she's before him, ready for whatever adventure he's going to lead her on next.

"You wan' more sisters and brothers too right?" he whispers conspiratorially to her. Himawari reaches up to pat him on his cheeks, smiling widely. He takes that to be a yes and nods, his expression utterly focused. "Ok. We plant you and more will grow!"

It is a sure thing, a solid idea. He knows one seed can bear a multitude of flowers and he thinks that this way, it also saves his mother from any pain. Himawari pats his cheeks again and he knows she is up for the task.

He gets to work straightaway, though it is much harder than he initially thinks, getting Himawari to lie still on the ground, still enough that he can pour handfuls of dirt over her legs and tummy. He tries to get her arms too but her hands wave in the air too much, either in an effort to help him or in a display of general excitement, and he deems it a lost cause, opting to cover what he can. He pats the dirt firmly around her feet, remembering what Hinata taught him when they planted seeds together and then gently, clumsily digs his fingers into the packed dirt to loosen slightly.

He's devoted to the task, single-minded in focus and determination. Every time Himawari knocks the dirt loose, her legs kicking out and her hands reaching out to grasp at a passing butterfly, he patiently pats the dirt down around her again. He's tempted to become distracted himself a few times, but then remembers the wish in his parents' eyes and the faraway promise of "Maybe" and scoops up more dirt, forging onwards.

Boruto's not sure how much time passes since the first handful of dirt poured over Himawari's tummy- though he knows it's been long enough to feel a sunburn itching at the back of his neck, though he's always careful to keep his sister in his shadow so she doesn't burn- before the japanese anemones rustle, alerting him to company. His parents step into view, taller than the dainty white blooms that come up to their waists, gentle giants framed by gentler flowers.

No one speaks for a moment. The only sound is from the faint laughter of the wind chimes carrying over the garden as Hinata and Naruto take in the perplexing sight of their son trying to bury their daughter in the dirt, though she is more just very liberally covered than anything else.

"Boruto… what are you doing?" Naruto's voice, soft and bewildered, is the one to break the quiet.

Boruto blinks owlishly at them, his blue eyes wide and innocent, before stating plainly, "We plant Him'wari to grow more sisters and brothers!"

It takes Hinata and Naruto a moment to understand what he means but when they do, astonishment and affection light their faces like a sunrise. Hinata crouches down and opens her arms wide and Boruto needs no further invitation before rushing forwards into her embrace. She scoops him up, braces him on her hip, and plants a long kiss on his whiskered cheek which he giggles heartily at.

Naruto feels laughter bubbling from the bottom of his stomach before it rises up and rushes out in a cascade, loud and powerful. He lifts Himawari up from the ground, brushing off the larger clumps of dirt that cover her before swinging her up into the air, singing, "She is as snug as a bug in a rug!"

Himawari shrieks in laughter, her mirth unmatched. He tosses her up and she swings her arms wide, hanging suspended in the air for just a moment, a true ladybug in flight adorned with a head full of flowers, before Naruto catches her. Hinata laughs at the sight and Boruto is busy transferring the daisies he has tucked away in his own blonde hair to her straight indigo locks, pleased with how bright the small white flowers stand out in her dark hair, bright as stars in the night sky.

Naruto twirls around to face them, Himawari held safe in his arms and he doesn't think he can smile any wider, doesn't think anything can top the happiness of this moment. Hinata's smile mirrors his own and he can't resist leaning forward to plant a kiss on her lips, warm and sweet and tasting of home. He sneaks a peck on Boruto's cheek before hefting Himawari up onto his shoulders, laughing as the dirt from her clothes tickles his skin.

"There are some seeds we haven't planted yet together. What do you say to growing some sunflowers instead?" Hinata suggests to Boruto.

Boruto's gaze jumps from her to Naruto and then up to Himawari, who watches him right back from where she sits high up on Naruto's shoulders, a sunny grin lighting her face as brilliantly as the flowers he decorated her hair with.

"More him'wari!" he exclaims, cheered that Hinata has come up with the perfect solution. He grins even wider when Himawari enthusiastically pats the top of Naruto's head, sharing his glee, forever his partner in crime and best friend. "What're we waiting for? Let's go!"

* * *

 **AN:** For some reason, writing this reminded me of this McDonald's sign that we'd always pass which said 'Over 99 billion served' and for the _longest_ time when I was young and had poor, uncorrected eyesight (and even poorer reading comprehension apparently), I thought it said 'Over 99 balloons saved'. Hah, alas. Well, I think anyone who knows me in the slightest recognized that I would go straight for the gardening prompt. I can't deny that writing this was incredibly fun and just what I needed, so I'm rather happy with how this turned out, which is a first in a very long while. Likely the last prompt I'll be able to submit on time (still planning to write them all though!) since school has started again and I can no longer overestimate how long I can stay awake and still function. Thank you for reading!

Also, to moomoo: fear not, what Hanabi doles out in training she makes up for in all the sweets she sneaks to them after ;)


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